§ Our Motto

'If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.?--Martin Luther

Monday, October 02, 2017

NFL Thru the Eyes of Others

Dear readers, I keep hoping that Mr. X will chime in on this issue but I’ve heard that he has been having hurricane issues; whether that means the kind in Puerto Rico or the local tavern, I’m not sure. Anyway, I saw a few things on Facebook and elsewhere that reflect how I feel so I thought I would post them.

Those who make the decisions in on Madison Avenue are giving the powers that be in the NFL’s crystal palace an opportunity to rectify the situation, but if things don’t change and the advertisers start feeling the impact on their bottom line, there will be some changes made in how a few key players in the marketing world shell out their revenue. That is one thing that will get the attention of the NFL.

The National Football League’s more muted approach in recent days to responding to attacks from President Donald Trump followed a tense meeting last week in which several owners argued the league’s combative stance was unproductive, according to three people familiar with the meeting.

However, multiple owners at the meeting said they needed to avoid the likely repercussions of a lingering feud with the president over an issue that resonated with many fans. While the league didn’t issue a directive and there were no reports of owners forbidding players from protesting, several clubs took steps to reduce tensions in the days that followed the meeting.

In poll after poll, Americans have expressed their disapproval of NFL players who refuse to stand for the national anthem as a form of protest.

In a CBS poll, 52 percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat disapprove of players kneeling during the anthem. Thirty-eight percent said they strongly or somewhat approve, and nine percent wouldn’t say.

And an ESPN poll showed Americans disapprove of the protests by 51 to 39 percent.

A full 55 percent of Fox News poll respondents said it was inappropriate, compared with 41 percent who said it’s appropriate.

CNN asked, “Do you think athletes who protest by kneeling during the national anthem are doing the right thing or the wrong thing to express their political opinion?” Forty-nine percent of respondents said players are doing the wrong thing. Just 43 percent said they’re doing the right thing, and eight percent said they didn’t know.

“The National Football League and its owners have shown their fans and marketing partners that they do not have a comprehensive policy to ensure that players stand and show respect for America and our flag during the playing of the national anthem,” Steve Kalafer said in a statement. “We have cancelled all of our NFL advertising on the Optimum and Infinity (cable) networks.”